Rams Acquire Mark Barron From Bucs
The NFL’s trade deadline is now behind us, but it didn’t pass without at least one noteworthy and somewhat surprising move. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Buccaneers are finalizing a deal to send former first-round safety Mark Barron to the Rams.
Schefter adds (via Twitter) that St. Louis is parting with its fourth- and sixth-round picks for 2015 in the swap. The team will also clear an opening on the 53-man roster for the incoming defender by cutting quarterback Case Keenum, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Barron, who turned 25 yesterday, was the seventh overall pick in the 2012 draft, having notably been selected two spots ahead of Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly. While it would be unfair to label the Alabama product a total bust, he has been underwhelming during his two and a half seasons in Tampa Bay, ranking 70th among safeties in 2012, 55th in 2013, and 66th in 2013, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required). In 37 games (all starts) for Tampa Bay, Barron has totaled 226 tackles, three interceptions, 19 passes defended, and a pair of sacks.
Because he was a first-round pick in ’12, Barron’s rookie contract will expire after the 2015 season, though the Rams will have the opportunity this spring to decide whether or not to exercise his fifth-year option for 2016. There’s not much risk in picking up that option, since it’s initially guaranteed for injury only, but given Barron’s average play to date, and the pricey salary attached to the option, I’d be surprised if the Rams exercise it, barring a huge 2014 second half from their new safety. As for Barron’s 2015 salary, the Bucs will carry about $2.24MM in prorated bonus money on their cap, while the Rams will be on the hook for the safety’s $2.363MM base, which is fully guaranteed.
For the Rams, Barron represents a player with some upside at a position where the team has been struggling to find reliable production. T.J. McDonald has manned the strong safety spot in St. Louis for most of this year and last, but his -9.8 grade places him 80th among 83 qualified safeties, per PFF. By acquiring Barron, the Rams will have another fairly low-cost option under team control for the next year and a half.
Meanwhile, having parted ways with Barron and linebacker Jonathan Casillas at the deadline, the Bucs have added a few extra picks to their arsenal as they continue their rebuild. It’s unlikely that the Casillas deal with the Patriots netted the team much in return, but acquiring a fourth- and sixth-rounder for Barron isn’t insignificant, even if it represents a huge loss in value for a recent top-10 selection. Although Barron and Casillas were on the move today, the Bucs held onto several other potential trade candidates, including Vincent Jackson and Doug Martin.
Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times first reported early this morning that the Bucs were listening to offers for Barron.
Trade Notes: Tuck, Seahawks, Chargers
The 2014 trade deadline is less than four hours away, and while we saw one major deal completed this month, when the Seahawks sent Percy Harvin to the Jets, it remains to be seen whether any other notable names will be on the move before 3:00pm central time today. While we wait to find out what happens, let’s round up a few trade-related items from around the NFL….
- In addition to trade candidates we’ve already heard about, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) identifies veteran pass rusher Justin Tuck as one player who could be on the move today. Tuck just signed a two-year deal with Oakland in the offseason, but with the team still winless and Tuck owed as much as $5MM next season, it’s only logical that the Raiders would listen to any offers they receive.
- In his latest piece for CBSSports.com, Jason La Canfora takes a look at several non-contending teams, suggesting which players he’d make available if he were the general manager of the Buccaneers, Jaguars, Raiders, Falcons, and others. In many cases, La Canfora names the Seahawks as potential suitors for the trade candidates he mentions, pointing out that Seattle is one of the league’s most aggressive teams and is actively trying to improve its roster at the deadline.
- The Chargers, having not executed a midseason trade since 2007, are unlikely to be active at today’s deadline, writes Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Workout Notes: Chargers, Eagles, Jags, Bucs
Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has passed along a few updates on free agents working out for teams this week, so let’s round up the highlights….
- Cornerback Roc Carmichael, who saw a decent amount of action last season for the Eagles, tried out for the Chargers (Twitter link). Carmichael was waived by Philadelphia during this summer’s cutdowns to 53-man rosters.
- Speaking of those Eagles, they had running back Kenjon Barner in for a workout recently (Twitter link). The team traded for Barner in the summer and has now brought him in for multiple looks since cutting him with an injury settlement in August, so it’s clear the Eagles see something they like, even if they’re not ready to use a 53-man roster spot on the back at this point.
- In addition to safety Matt Daniels, who the team signed to its practice squad, the Jaguars worked out linebacker Justin Jackson and safety Jeremy Deering (Twitter link). Jackson most recently spent time with the Vikings, while Deering was on the Raiders’ roster this summer.
- Former Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Siddoway, who went undrafted in May, worked out for the Buccaneers (Twitter link).
Poll: Who Is Most Likely To Be Traded?
The trade deadline is tomorrow at 4pm eastern time, and a number of prominent players have been the subject of swirling trade rumors over the past several weeks. After a nightmarish start to the season, the Buccaneers may be entertaining the idea of a fire sale, with Vincent Jackson, Doug Martin, and Dashon Goldson all potentially on the trading block.
The Titans, meanwhile, appear ready to usher in a new era with the insertion of Zach Mettenberger into the starting lineup, and they are reportedly taking calls on veterans Nate Washington, Michael Griffin, and Wesley Woodyard. The Bengals, who have regained control over the AFC North without much help from Jermaine Gresham, may be waiting for someone to meet what should be a fairly low price for Gresham’s services. And the Rams, who suffered an ignominious defeat at the hands of the Chiefs yesterday after a surprising upset of the Seahawks in Week 7, could be shopping players like Kendall Langford and Zac Stacy.
We also learned yesterday that the Vikings could be taking calls on Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, and Greg Jennings. However, all of those players, for various reasons, are probably less likely to be on the move than some of the other names mentioned above.
Indeed, given the level of interest in his services, the struggles of his current team, and his potential impact on a new club, the player who may be the most likely to be dealt is Jackson. This is despite NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport’s belief that Tampa Bay would not settle for less than a second-round pick in exchange for its top wideout.
But that’s just one person’s opinion. Odds are, of course, that no one will be traded; that’s simply the status quo when it comes to the NFL trade deadline. And several head coaches whose teams were rumored to be active participants in the trade market said today that they did not expect their clubs to pull the trigger on a deal. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, even though he lays out a number of trades that he thinks would be beneficial for teams who appear destined for losing records in 2014, acknowledges that seeing one of those trades come to fruition would be very surprising.
However, reality is not always exciting. So, with that in mind, which of the above players do you think are mostly likely to be traded? Do you think a different player will be on the move? Or do you live so relentlessly in the real world that you think all of this smoke will fail to give rise to a single fire?
Poll: What Player Is Most Likely To Be Traded?
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Vincent Jackson 27% (265)
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Everybody's staying put 24% (234)
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Doug Martin 18% (178)
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Someone else 7% (66)
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Zac Stacy 5% (53)
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Adrian Peterson 4% (39)
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Dashon Goldson 4% (37)
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Nate Washington 3% (34)
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Jermaine Gresham 2% (24)
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Wesley Woodyard 1% (13)
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Greg Jennings 1% (13)
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Chad Greenway 1% (10)
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Michael Griffin 1% (9)
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Kendall Langford 1% (8)
Total votes: 983
Bucs Release Mike Kafka
The Bucs have released quarterback Mike Kafka, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Kafka was signed off of the practice squad late last month.
Kafka, 27, did not take a snap during his short stint on the Bucs’ active roster. His lone NFL experience came in 2011 with the Eagles where he appeared in four games, completing 11 of 16 throws.
Although he drew some interest from the Cowboys back in February, Kafka was signed by the Bucs and spent most of the year with the club before becoming a roster casualty during the cutdown to 53 players. After he cleared waivers though, Tampa Bay quickly re-added him to its practice squad, making him the de facto No. 3 signal-caller for the team despite the fact that he wasn’t on the active roster.
NFC Notes: Seahawks, McCoy, Lions, Bears
Recent reports indicated that the Seahawks are falling apart and possibly planning to part ways with running back Marshawn Lynch after this season, but Seattle silenced that speculation this week with a big team effort against the Panthers, writes Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. “[The reports were] not a distraction at all,” coach Pete Carroll said. “Our guys don’t care about what’s being said. We’ve been prepared all year that there would be stuff like this, that there would be controversy and story lines that would try to get in between us. We’re fine.” More from the NFC..
- The Falcons are 2-6 and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (video link) says that both coach Mike Smith and GM Thomas Dimitroff could be on the hot seat this offseason. Owner Arthur Blank can be expected to “evaluate everyone” after the season.
- There isn’t any offset language with the $51.5M of guarantees in Gerald McCoy‘s contract with the Bucs, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- With Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush sidelined, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is extra glad that his club added Golden Tate over the offseason. “He’s just a competitive son of a gun,” Stafford said of Tate, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. “And you just trust him, you want to throw him the ball, you feel good about it when you throw it to him. And I’m proud of him, happy for him. I know he’s going to be excited when Calvin comes back to be that duo that they want to be.”
- Bears GM Phil Emery doesn’t sound like a man who wants to make a coaching change. “The solutions to win games are with the people in this building,” said the GM, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
King On Lynch, Fairley, Martin, Pats
Let’s check out some of the highlights from Peter King’s weekly MMQB column..
- King agrees with ESPN’s Chris Mortensen and feels that this is the end for Marshawn Lynch in Seattle. However, he doesn’t see him getting moved by Tuesday’s deadline unless the Seahawks are blown away by an offer. Even a team desperate for a running back isn’t going to give the Seahawks anything like the third-round pick that they would need to start considering a deal, King opines. Lynch is set to earn $6.5MM in 2015 but Seattle might cut him loose instead.
- The Lions initially believed that defensive tackle Nick Fairley hadn’t suffered a season-ending knee injury in London on Sunday, but King is now hearing that the injury is bad. Fairley’s MRI results should be in later today.
- King notes that on NBC’s Sunday Night Football telecast, Mike Florio noted that the Patriots could be in the market for Buccaneers running back Doug Martin. Martin is in the midst of a down year and injured his ankle yesterday.
- John Brown was the Cardinals‘ hero on Sunday and that may have surprised some, but not Cardinals GM Steve Keim. When Keim traded the No. 20 pick in the draft to New Orleans for the Nos. 27 and 91, he was hoping and praying Brown would fall to him at No. 91. Brown, who doesn’t have a big program pedigree, was available, and it would appear that the Cards made one heck of a selection.
Kelly: Eagles Not Looking To Trade
The trade deadline is a little over 24 hours away and speculation has been swirling around the 5-2 Eagles. However, an interview on WIP, Eagles coach Chip Kelly made it known that the Eagles aren’t thinking about making a deal between now and tomorrow afternoon, tweets Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News.
“The trade deadline is overblown,” Kelly said. “I don’t anticipate doing anything. I’m very happy with the team we have right now. I love the way they can compete.”
Yesterday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that the Eagles are looking for help at strong safety with Nate Allen struggling so far this season. Florio was unsure of who the Eagles might target, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com was quick to point out that the Buccaneers’ Dashon Goldson and the Titans‘ Michael Griffin could be had at the right price. Later that day, Allen didn’t do much to help his case as he let Cardinals wideout John Brown get behind him to catch the go-ahead 75-yard touchdown with less than two minutes to play. The Eagles are also reportedly calling on Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who would look pretty great lined up opposite of Jeremy Maclin, who is in the midst of a career year.
However, if Kelly is to be believed, the Eagles are more than content to roll with the team that they have in place for the second half of the year.
NFC Notes: Jake Long, Bucs, Bears, Lions
The Rams fear that left tackle Jake Long has torn his ACL, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Long, the first overall pick in 2008, spent the first five seasons of his career with the Dolphins before signing a four-year, $34MM contract with St. Louis prior to last season. If the diagnosis is correct, Long would be the second notable Rams player, along with quarterback Sam Bradford, to have his season cut short by an ACL injury. Long also missed the final game of last season after tearing his ACL. Greg Robinson, the second overall pick in the 2014 draft, will presumably take over at left tackle. He had been playing left guard, and given that Rodger Saffold also suffered an injury today, the Rams will have to do some maneuvering along their offensive line. Veteran guard Davin Joseph is a candidate to be re-inserted into the starting lineup.
- We’ve heard rumors that the Buccaneers could look to move Vincent Jackson and/or Doug Martin, and following today’s overtime loss to the Vikings, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com opines (Twitter links) that Tampa Bay should look to deal the two, in addition to safety Dashon Goldson, at all costs. The Bucs generally don’t offer signing bonuses, so no money would accelerate onto their cap if Goldson was dealt. The acquiring team would be responsible for 9/17 of Goldon’s 2014 base salary, plus all of his 2015 guarantee — in total, about $7.18MM. Given that he rates 74th out of 82 qualified safeties per Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required), I’d wager that no team would be interested in taking on his salary, and even less inclined to give up a draft pick.
- On the subject of Buccaneers trade rumors, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap examines what a Jackson deal would look like, noting that because an acquiring team would need at least $5.1MM in cap space in order to take on his contract, the pool of suitors is limited. Fitzgerald lists the Browns, Eagles, and Patriots among the clubs that have both the requisite cap space and the motivation to trade for a receiver upgrade.
- Bears defensive lineman Lamarr Houston will undergo an MRI tomorrow, but the club fears the worst, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Mike Garafolo adds (via Twitter) Chicago believes Houston, a key free agent addition over the offeseason, suffered a season-ending knee injury.
- Another NFC North lineman, the Lions’ Nick Fairley, suffered a knee injury today, and head coach Jim Caldwell isn’t optimistic about Fairley’s status. “I’m not quite certain where he is right now,” Caldwell told reporters, including Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. “But obviously, when you’re carried off the field, it’s not the greatest news. We’ll see what the doctors say about him.”
Sunday Roundup: Lynch, Broncos, 49ers
The Seahawks traded Percy Harvin amid rumors that his presence had created a rift in the locker room, and now no one expects Marshawn Lynch to return to Seattle next year, including Lynch himself, writes ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk adds that Lynch has grown increasingly “salty” over his contract and his role in the Seahawks’ offense, and Seattle is simply tired of contending with his persistent discontent. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Lynch communicates minimally, if at all, with head coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawks’ management.
Citing NFL Media’s Michael Robinson, Conor Orr of NFL.com writes that the time is now for Russell Wilson to lead his team through this shroud of controversy and distraction, and as far as the on-field ramifications of Lynch’s potential departure, Rapoport tweets that he expects Seattle to take a running back early in next year’s draft. Mortensen writes that the Seahawks may have made Lynch available via trade this year, but the trickle-down effect from fullback Derrick Coleman‘s recent injury has taken that option off the table.
Now for some more notes from around the league:
- Brian McIntyre tweets that, if the Seahawks do, in fact, release Lynch in 2015, they will have saved $17.5MM in cash and $12.7MM in cap space with the departures of Lynch and Harvin.
- Our Luke Adams wrote several days ago that the Broncos do not anticipate reaching a contract extension with either of their top pending free agents, Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas. Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes that the offers Denver made to the Thomases remain on the table, but it appears nothing will happen until the offseason. Klis goes on to note that the contract situations of both players are quite different, and he describes what it might take for Denver to retain both (spoiler: a lot of money).
- Rapoport tweets that the 49ers could get Aldon Smith back as early as Monday, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter writes that, with the impending returns of Smith, NaVorro Bowman, and Glenn Dorsey, San Francisco could be looking to deal a defensive player or two from the back end of its depth chart to create roster space for those players.
- Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the Steelers, after making little effort to re-sign Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery in the offseason, are still looking for a reliable complement for Antonio Brown.
- Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel wonders if the Packers will make a trade to address their weakness at inside linebacker.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com tweets that, if the Jets part ways with head coach Rex Ryan, the Falcons would be the perfect landing spot for him.
- Joel Corry of National Football Post takes a deeper look at Gerald McCoy’s new deal with the Buccaneers.